Wicker Park

May 5, 2006 - Josh Hartnett carries this 2004 drama which effectively combines the star-crossed lover aspect of Made in Heaven, the stalker aspect of Single White Female and the if-the-shoe-fits aspect of Cinderella. Matthew Lillard of Scream fame also stars.

Hartnett plays Matthew, a young advertising executive in Chicago who's about to make his first big business trip to China. He's also thinking about popping the question to his girlfriend, who happens to be his boss's sister.

But, just hours before his scheduled departure, Matthew meets his old friend, Luke (Lillard), who runs a distinctive shoe store. He also has an almost encounter with Lisa, a former lover who he hasn't seen for two years.

Instead of going to China, Matthew spends the next several days trying to track down Lisa. He thinks he's found her, only to discover another woman who dresses like Lisa, calls herself Lisa, but doesn't look like Lisa.

So, what's going on? Clues are revealed and eventually the complete picture presents itself.

Overall review: *** I liked this movie a lot, thanks in part to a great modern rock soundtrack featuring the likes of Coldplay and the White Stripes. The photography and editing are also interesting. And, the movie does a good job of building suspense. I got sucked in despite the fact that the film is derivative in so many ways.